This invention relates to vehicles and especially to those which have rear access, it being a general object of this invention to provide a trailer hitch attachment that is a carrier for bicycles or skis and the like, without imparing access into the rear of the vehicle.
Heretofore, attachments of the type under consideration have either encumbered the rear of the vehicle so as to prevent access through the rear doors, hatch-back or trunk lid, or they have been overly complex and bulky in order to shift the load out of the way for access. In the first example of encumbering the vehicle rear, the carriers have been fixedly positioned and the load strapped thereto closely adjacent the rear doors, hatch-back or trunk lid, covering the entire rear of the vehicle. In the second example of shiftable carriers, they have required custom installation which is not only expensive but damaging to the original structural integrity and aesthetics of the vehicle coach work. Furthermore, the prior art shiftable carriers do not compensate for the bulky nature of the load; for example two or more bicycles or lengthy skis. And, neither of these two general types of carrier provides a trailer hitch and access thereto as well. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a universally applicable carrier-hitch apparatus for installation at the rear of a vehicle, whereby the load, such as bicycles or skis, is shiftable away from the access area into the vehicle interior, whether the vehicle is of the van-type with vertically hinged doors or of the wagon-type with a horizontally hinged hatch, or of the sedan-type with a notch-back and upwardly swinging lid. A feature of this invention is shifting of the carrier to the right side of the vehicle for safety, completely clear of the vehicle rear area. That is, the doors or hatch or lid are completely cleared for access, all without removal of the load from the carrier, whereby rear entry into the vehicle interior is facilitated.
The carrier herein disclosed is combined with a trailer hitch installation of the vehicle and relies entirely thereon for support, it being an object of this invention to avoid attachment to the vehicle coach work, to avoid custom installation and to avoid damage to the vehicle body. In practice, state of the art trailer hitches provide a permanent socket member at the rear bumper, to receive a ball joint adapter that is removed when not in use. It is this adapter that is replaced by the adapter-carrier base of the present invention to mount the trailer hitch ball and load carrier as well.
This load carrier is characterized by a vertical column member and a header member, which together with the aforesaid adapter member provide a knock-down assembly for compact packaging and storage, and functional operation as is required. Therefore; it is an object to provide an adapter member that is clear of the vehicle access area for supporting both the trailer hitch ball and load carrier per se; it being an object to provide a column member for extending load support to an elevated level; and it is an object to provide a header member for columnar support and that is convertible to either of two modes and suitable for horizontal plane or vertical plane load mounting.
There is a clearance plane that presents itself at either side of the vehicle body. Generally, this clearance plane occurs at each rear fender area and is disposed vertically in a fore and aft direction. In the situation here under consideration this plane extends rearward of the vehicle fender or bumper; and in the van-type vehicle is immediately outside the vertical hinge or jamb line of the door; and in the hatch-back type and sedan type vehicle is immediatley outside the vertical jamb line of the hatch or lid. It is to be understood that the hinge and jamb lines will vary in design and position dependent upon vehicle body style. However, it is this clearance plane (c) with which this invention is primarily concerned and which occurs at and inboard of the fender-to-body joinder, as shown in the drawings. It is an object therefore to provide column shifting means to shift the column member between a carrying position and a clearing position (compare FIGS. 1 and 2 ). As shown, the shifting means involves an adapter arm and a column arm which are articulated to swing on an axis (a).
Another clearance requirement provided by this invention is for the trailer hitch ball, and this is clearly shown as an offset in the column arm, characteristically over said ball and below the threshold of the vehicle door, hatch or lid is the case may be.
The header member and column member are selectively and adjustably assembled as shown, and they are secured in working position by fastener means which can vary as circumstances require. However, very simple and practical means therefor are shown, whereby the column and header members are positively and releasalby held in working position.